1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to unified communication systems. More specifically, it relates to enhanced unified communication systems with integration for SMS, instant messages, e-mail, phone, phone calls, voicemail, and fax.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Messaging systems and methods have come a long way since their early inception. Today users receive messages in a large variety of formats and on a large variety of devices; ranging from SMS messages to fax messages. Traditionally, users would have to receive different messaging formats and modes of communication separately. To help keep track of the wide variety of message input unified messaging systems have begun to develop. These services attempt to provide a unified messaging system for handling various types of messages. While some are more successful than others, there exists a need for a unified communication system that combines aspects of unified messaging systems and integrates them with additional features in a unique way to provide a single communication system.
An example of a Unified Messaging System is substantially disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,762 B1 to Nicholas Luzeski et al., hereinafter the '762 patent. The '762 patent presents a Unified Messaging System for use in e-mail, fax, and voice messaging. The e-mail messages are stored on e-mail message store, while the fax and voicemail are stored on a Voice Mail Message Manager (VMMM). Subscribers access an Internet browser interface on their computer by logging in with a unique password and user name. Users are then presented with a “unified inbox” that displays all of the user's messages. While the '762 messaging system was a step in the right direction it has several disadvantages. First, the system fails to provide incorporation of SMS messaging. Second, the system relies on a graphical user interface for user interaction with the messaging system. A user cannot use voice prompts to access messaging services. This means that the usage is limited to when the user is able to look at the graphical interface and interact with the interface through non-verbal communication. Third, the system lacks customizable features to make the system a fully implemented unified communication system. For example, the system lacks the means to allow users to respond to messages through voicemail, SMS or integration with a phone system.
Another method of a unified messaging system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,912 B1 to Dorfman et al., hereinafter the '912 patent. The '912 patent provides a method of integrating voice mailboxes with various e-mail addresses, such that a stored voicemail may be sent to a user's email. When the voicemail is sent to a user's e-mail address it may be opened and subsequently listened to by the user. While this patent provides a method of receiving voice mail via e-mail it falls short of providing a fully integrated unified communication system that includes fax and SMS messaging. The system also fails to address outgoing communication (e.g. sending a voicemail or making a phone call) by a user to a third party.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,494 B2 to Hyde-Thompson et, hereinafter the '494 patent, discloses a Unified Messaging System that selectively provides voice messages and computer-generated speech messages to a set of subscribers. One of the unique features of this system is that it is configured to detect whether the message is received by text, voicemail, or e-mail. When a message is received, for example a text message, a trigraph analyzer examines text combinations found within the message to determine a language identifier. Based upon the identifier a message inquiry unit selects an appropriate text-to-speech engine and turns it into computer generated speech. This system provides advantages to users who may wish to listen to messages rather than read on a graphical user interface. It also provides the potential for a system to integrate text messaging with voice messaging. While this system provides many advantages, it fails to be a complete unified communication system. Specifically, the system fails to provide a system that integrates fax, SMS, instant messages, voicemail, e-mail and phone calls into one system. The system also fails to provide a way for users to send outgoing messages or to have the speech-converted email automatically delivered to the user's phone.
GMAIL® is a messaging system created by GOOGLE® that embodies a working example of some of the aspects disclosed in the in the above referenced patents. The messaging system utilizes an e-mail based messaging system that allows users to send real time messages through instant messaging. Additionally, the system permits users to make outgoing voice calls and video chat. This popular messaging system exemplifies several communication mediums in an attempt to create a unified communication system. While the system is successful in incorporating several messaging formats it fails to provide a system that does not rely solely on a graphical user interface. The system also lacks full integration with voicemail, fax, SMS messaging, voicemail and e-mail.
There exists a need for a unified communication system that can determine the message type received and display various message types in text, graphic and audio format. There also exists a need for a unified communication system that can provide outgoing messaging support for users in various messaging forms. Finally, there exists a need for a system that provides convenient logging of messages and display of logged messages. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.